Checkrein-holder



. (No Model.)

F. A. LB COUNT.

y GHEGKREIN HOLDER. No. 536,635. Patented Apr. Zi, 1895.

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lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. LE CoUNT, E NIANTIC, CONNECTICUT.

CHECKREIN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,635, dated April 2, 1895.

Application mea May 21,1 894. serai No. 511,899. cto more.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. LE CoUNT,a citizen of the United States, residing at Niantic, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Checkrein-Holders,

which improvement is fully set forth and described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings.

The object of this invention is to produce a simple and durable device for use in connection With the check-rein of ordinary harness, which will prevent the said rein from becoming accidentally unchecked or from being thrown from the saddle hook by any movement of the horses head but which will not prevent the removal of said rein whenever it becomes necessary to uncheck said horse.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l illustrates my device in elevation and showsparticularly the manner in which it serves to connect the check-rein and saddle-hook. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same parts. and 4 are enlarged, longitudinal, sectional, views of the rein-holder, the former view showing said holder before being attached to the saddle-hook and the latter view illustrating the same after having been forced onto the said hook. Fig. 5 shows side and end views of an elastic jacket that forms an important element of said holder.

In constructing my rein-holder or fastener a piece of leather, rawhide, or similar liexible material, of proper length, is first doubled` upon itself to form a practically continuous band a, the ends of said piece being overlapped substantially as shown' in the drawings. Within band a is introduced and secured a metallic bow spring b, said spring being held in position by a rivet passing through the neck thereof and through the adjacent portions of band c. Rivet c also serves to securely fasten together the overlapping ends of band ct. Said band is made to conform as nearly as possible to the shape of bow spring b and, to assist in accomplishing this desired end, the limbs b and b2 of spring b are each secured to the adjacent portions of band a by rivets c or in any other suitable manner.

. The limbs b b2 are held normally in close contact by reason of their tendency to spring together.

Figs. 3l

The construction Iof my device, as thus far described, -is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 by which it will be seen that band c is formed into a loop at each end, that at one end (inclosing the bow of the spring b) being denoted by reference letter e and that at the opposite end by letter f. Loop e serves to support an ordinary ring g through which the check-rein h passes and the loop f serves to connect my complete device with the saddle hook of the harness.

If desired an elastic tube or band h' may be provided as a casing or jacket for the loop a; in such case the loops e and f, protruding from opposite ends of said tube h', are com-l pressed and reinforced by the contractile force of said jacket.

lWhen it is desired to use a rein-holder of my described form the loop f is placed over the end of the saddle hook and forced down upon said hook, as in Figs. l, 2 and 4, thereby crowding open the loopfand drawing apart the limbs b' and Ib2 of the bow-spring which limbs, by reason of their inclination to spring together, cause the loop f to bind upon the saddle hook and thus retain the holder in any position on said hook to which it may be adj usted.

The holder may be removed with comparative ease but cannot become disengaged from the saddle hook by accident. When so removed the spring limbs b b2,- and the elas `tic jacket, combine to return the band a and vband of exible material having a loop at each end, a compression spring within said band and an elastic j acketinclosing that portion of the band between the loops, substantially as specified.

FRANK A. LE COUNT.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, ALONZO M. LUTHER. 

